Henry wilkins



UNITED sTArEs PATENT oEEicE.

HENRY yW'ILKINS, OF BBOVVNSVILLE, IPENNSYLANIA.

FUR/NACE FOR STEAM-BILERS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 30,275, dated Gctober 2, 1860.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY VVILKINS, of Brownsville, county of Fayette, Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Furnaces, More Especially Adapted to Boilers for the Generation of Steam as Motive Power or for other Purposes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l represent-s a perspective view of a furnace and boilers with my improvements. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal section through the furnace,cbelow the boilers.

The principal obj ect of my invention is to economize. fuel, in the generation of steam, for a motive power or for other purposes, by burning most of the combustible matter that usually passes off with the smoke; and also to diminish the quantity of smoke, and thereby lessen its capacity for carrying off heat; and my improvements for eifecting this object, consist in` burning the fuel in separate furnaces connected by an interme` diate flue or fines `for the conduction of the smoke and other products of combustion, from the fire lof one furnace over the fire of the other furnace, by which the combustible portions of the smoke and other products 0fcombustion, from the fires of the rst furnace are ignited and consumed in passing over the fires of the second furnace and before entering into the stack.

The manner in which I carry out my invention will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which are represented, two furnaces (A, B,) over each of which, are two boilers (a and b). rIhe furnaces are constructed in the usual manner with grate bars (c 0) for the support ofthe fuel, and an ash pit (C) below; with a fire front, which supports the outer end of the boiler, and iues (d) and (e) leading from each furnace to a st-ack rIhe Hue (CZ) is provided with a sliding damper the closing of which, cuts oif the direct communication between that furnace and the stock. A division wall (F) separates the two furnaces, and extends as low as the bottom of the ash pit. In this division wall is a flue which connects with the furnace (A) at the back end, and with the furnace (B) at the front end, and at the side of the re.

(g) and in the present instance the front of the ash-pit is left open, but may also be provided with doors if thought best.

The Vfurnace (B) is closed by doors (L) and also the ash-pit by doors (E) and in the latter, are slides to regulate the draft of the furnace. An opening is made through the fire front into the flue (G) for the purpose of cleaning it out, and is closed by a sliding door (7L). There are also sliding doors (Z) in the side of the smoke boxes of both furnaces for the. same purpose; and a hinged door covering openings into the top of the smoke box of both furnaces.

In using this furnace, coal res are built on the grate bars of both furnaces, the ash pit doors (L) of the furnace (B) being open, and also the damper (f) to the ue (cl) of the furnace (A) communicatingI directly with the stack. After the coal in the furnace (B) is well ignited, the doors (E) of the ash-pit of that furnace, are closed to check the draft, which is then regulated by means of the slides in the ash-pit doors or by draft holes (n) in the furnace doors. The damper (f) to the flue of the furnace (A) is then shut,which causes the smoke and products of combustion, from the fires in the furnace (A) after traversing the whole length of the furnace, to pass through the return flue (G) and over the fires in the furnace (B) and thence through flue (e) of that furnace (which is made one third larger than the flue in order to increase the draft) into the smoke stack. The combustible gases of the smoke from the furnace (A) and the combustible material mingled with it, such as cinders, &c., are entirely consumed in passing over the fires of the furnace (B) and a very hot fire produced under that furnace; while a comparatively small amount of smoke passes into the stack; consequently its capacity for carrying oif heat, is greatly diminished.

The draft to the fires in the furnace (B) is regulated to induce a slow combustion so that it is necessary to renew the coal only about once an hour, while the fires in the furnace (A) are replenished with coal as frequently as is -usual in ordinary furnaces, about once in fifteen or twenty minutes.

I have found by actual experiments that the saving of fuel by this arrangement of furnaces is from 30 to 35 per cent.

I-Iaving thus described my improvement in The furnace (A) is provided with doors I furnaces applicable to steam boilers, What I over the other tire, previous to its escape claim as new and desire to secure by Letters into the chimney, for the purpose set forth. 10

Patent is- In testimony whereof I have subscribed The combination of tWo furnaces or res, my name. Y

separated by a division Wall, With a return HENRY WILKINS.

flue, arranged as described, so that the smoke Witnesses:

and products of combustion from one re, A. B. TODD,

after traversing its furnace is caused to pass R. M. SMITH. 

